ABOUT SALISBURY RFC

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Welcome to the 2017/18 season

I am delighted to be able to write this welcome message for you as Chairman for a third year.We had a very full season, on and off the field, with four senior teams playing regularly, a busy Old Bustards Veterans team, an emerging Women's team, Walking Rugby, and of course our thriving Minis and Juniors. Off the field, we have been busy fund raising and planning for Project All Change, our new changing rooms, seeking sponsorship, increasing our room hiring’s and organising events in our clubhouse so ably run by Vince Hayward.

Our 1st XV moved leagues for the fourth consecutive year but this time it was down from National League 3 (SW) to South West 1 East. However the team played some exceptional rugby in a largely semi-pro league, winning seven games and losing several very close, winnable, games. It was a big step up for us and in the end perhaps our game management wasn't quite good enough and our squad not experienced enough against some very canny and well established sides. However we learnt a lot and the coaching team and the players are determined to gain promotion this year.

Our coaching team has been extended further by Stewart Roderick (Director of Senior Rugby) and Neil Loader (Head Coach) so that we are able to provide coaching for all our senior players. This paid off last year when our 2nd XV, guided by Richard Lloyd and Mark Saunby, and captained by Rich Roe, won the D & W Cup, beating North Dorset in the final. Our 3rd and 4th teams also had full, enjoyable and largely successful seasons, as did our Old Bustards, organised and led by Hamish Morton. We now see the Old Bustards as relatively young players because Pat Clash has set up a formidable “Walking Rugby” group for women of any age and men over 50. Watch out for them!

Amanda Foster is working very hard with RFU support to grow our Women's team and we look forward to seeing them play this season, whilst our Girls team continues to develop very successfully under Geoff Wilman.

Youth rugby is thriving from the U6s to the U17s with increasing numbers and importantly a growing number of qualified coaches helping all players develop their skills, and play and enjoy their games in the right spirit. We are very hopeful that this year's U17s will provide a Colts side, playing their games on Sunday afternoons and I am really looking forward to having a regular Colts side again, particularly this year when we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our first Colts team. It is so important to our development.

Our work in the community grows on several fronts. We are running RFU sponsored “Pitch up and Play” sessions and an “All Schools” programme with our coaches helping secondary schools around Salisbury to develop rugby. Mark Lerpiniere is doing great work here: many of these students (boys and girls) are now with the club and other schools are joining the programme. We are also developing stronger links with the Army through our Army Liaison Officer which has encouraged Army players of all abilities to join us. We have an Army team “The Griffins” using our club as their home ground on Wednesdays and I am hoping to sign shortly a more formal covenant with the Army to reinforce these links and develop more.

Our “Project All Change” to provide new changing rooms so that we continue to grow as a club able to safely provide rugby for all is progressing. We have detailed planning permission and now a Project Team planning to start building summer 2018. This will depend of course on whether we raise sufficient funds. We need £600,000 and we expect to get £300,000 from the RFU, Sport England and other organisations, leaving us to raise £300,000 ourselves. As I write we have reached £150,000 so we need a big push this season to double this. A real disappointment has been how few members have supported this crucial fund raising so far – we have reached this figure through the hard work of our Board, and our small Steering Group, with generous sponsorship from some businesses, and donations and support from very few of our members. We must not fail so, if you possibly can, make a donation or create a standing order, organise or attend an event. Watch out for the “Project All Change” publicity and please try to help in any way you can.

Finally, please enjoy the season and thank you all for your continuing support for Salisbury RFC, whether as player, other member, one of our very committed volunteers, or as someone who supports us pitch side, at events, or in the bar. You are the club and its future.

Best wishes,

Richard Larcombe

Chairman of the Salisbury Rugby Club

ABOUT US

Salisbury RFC is a thriving Rugby Club with over a thousand members.

We have a history that stretches back over 100 years, providing rugby and social opportunities for the people of Salisbury and the whole of the South Wiltshire, North Dorset and West Hampshire areas.

Our current major plans are to establish the burgeoning girls section, develop a Senior Ladies team and build a state of the art changing room block that benefits all our players and the volunteers that make it happen.